


Higher Forms

by TheNights



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Canon Divergence, Gen, M/M, Other, Scene Rewrite, True Forms, also the Aziraphale/Crowley pairing is here but like back of my head as i wrote here not here here, angel forms, really just Aziraphale Crowley and Adam, the others are just mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 16:11:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19727140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNights/pseuds/TheNights
Summary: Adam lurched forward in a panic, sand covering his shoes and something else filled his vision.It was huge.Impossibly so.‘Oh’Above, where there should be a sky, are wings.--My take on the scene where Crowley freezes time and Adam ends up encountering the duo as their true angelic/demonic forms.





	Higher Forms

**Author's Note:**

> I hope ya'll enjoy reading this pure 3k ramble of me just describing how many arms and eyes Aziraphale and Crowley could have had.

When the man on the ground had screamed and thrown his arms skyward, Adam locked eyes with his bewildered trio of friends and, for the first time since arriving at the airbase, felt a small trickle of true fear.

Then they were gone and Adam lurched forward in a panic, sand covering his shoes and something else filled his vision. 

It was huge. 

Impossibly so. 

‘Oh’ 

Above, where there should be a sky, are wings. An abundance of overlapping wings of different shapes and sizes all arching magnificently in the air. They’re brilliant shades of gold and yellow and brown with hints of warm reds, oranges and pink peeking out from amongst them and the very tips scattered with purple and blue. A soft light radiates across them, catching on the edges of great feathers. They look nothing like feathers Adam has ever seen on any bird though. They’re flat, squarish and when they rustle together, it’s as if he’s hearing sheets of paper glide against each other. They shine with a glossy sheen in the light giving Adam the feeling he’s witnessing a crisp spring dawn. 

And at the centre of this display of feathers and light is something vaguely human. Vaguely, in the sense that if he’d seen it at a glance or from the corner of his eye, he’d have just thought a regular person was standing there. Except the longer he looks, the more it looks wrong, and the more it looks wrong, the more his eyes water and burn. 

Adam can’t see the figures head backlit as it is by the light. He tries to make sense of what he thinks is a torso except where there should be more, there is a startlingly amount of less. Instead of a stomach, a plump silver sphere hangs in its place, floating between ornate rib-like structures and hips that concave like a deep bowl to cradle the sphere within. Pearl coloured hands, actual recognizable human hands, were delicately intertwined in front of it with great big thumbs that tapped and twiddled together. From the hips extended legs, if they could be called legs. There are great round things that Adam suppose could be thighs and curves that are similar to calves. Thick golden backs wrap around where the hips join the thighs and the thighs meet the lower legs, giving them the oddest appearance of wearing great pale stockings except for the lack of feet. Where there should be feet are just rounded stumps that shuffled about hesitantly. One even lifts as if to rub an itch on the ankle of the other. Adam notes that while they are on the sand, not a single inch of the being sink into it and instead they just skim the surface ever so lightly. 

‘Well this is certainly not what I had expected’

‘Sssstop complaining. It’ss not like I had much to work with’

‘I’m not complaining my dear, I was merely surprised’

Adam jumped as pale hands landed next to him, settling into the sand on either side. As the being leans down, Adam froze and his eyes widened to an incredible size. There is no face. There’s a head shaped object, but it is smooth as marble. No hair, no eyes, no nose, no mouth. Just intricate mindless swirls carved into the surface. Adam blinked rapidly, peering closer. No ... not mindless. They’re pictures. Patterns making up an artwork of what must be everything. Whole scriptures were written in English and other languages. Images of lands and animals and people and things. It’s beautiful.

‘Oh’ repeats the voice. Adam can’t see how a head with no lips or tongue or teeth can speak, but it does. Adam’s ears strain to listen. Despite the words being very clear, the tone is hushed as if unable or unwilling to say anything louder than is required ‘I’m sure this must be terribly frightening but do not worry Adam, it’s just us’

Adam swallows, throat full and itching. ‘Us?’ he croaks out, and watches as the beings ‘head’ tilts sideways. The white marble pinkens a touch and it makes the carvings stand out that much more. The voice that comes out this time is a lot more flustered and familiar. ‘I uh- I was the one who tried to shoot you- I’m so sorry for that by the way, I was in a right state at the time- and you gave me back my vessel. In tip top shape as well thank you!’

‘You’re welcome….’ replied Adam automatically, pieces coming together in his mind. The people who had arrived. The spirit he’d plucked from the body a woman. The men-shaped beings who definitely weren’t men and definitely were in trouble judging by the appearance of two similar others. 

‘Aziraphale’ offers the being, and then they’re scooping Adam up within their hands. Adam stumbles and finds purchase on a finger that curls in the steady him. Despite the marble appearance of their head, Aziraphale’s hands are another story. They’re soft and thick and soothingly warm. Adam leans on the finger as he’s brought higher and higher. The first thing he notices is that even as Adam stands in Aziraphale’s palm, the hands he’d noticed before are still in place and linked together. Adam makes a mental note because man the Them were going to lose their minds over this. He notes that the ball that is Aziraphale’s stomach is actually murky as if full of fog. It shimmers and wavers and Adam squints as something within sparks sharp and golden. Adam wants to keep staring at it but then he’s passing the ribs, feeling a bit queasy and fascinated as he realises that whilst Aziraphale has a rib cage, there is no spine. Nothing keeps the legs attached to the upper half, except perhaps maybe they know better than to wander off from their top half. In comparison, Aziraphale’s chest is rather human looking, wrapped in thick chiffon coloured material that mimics a vest. Golden hoops keep the material taut over the swell of Aziraphale’s chest where it crosses over and wraps around his back. The same material looped into Aziraphale’s exposed false ribs, weaving between them and the lower floating ribs as an imitation of thin muscle, each rib capped with a golden ring. 

The only thing out of place is a glint of red on the otherwise beige colour palette. Adam can’t quite make it out but he thinks it might be a stone pressed into the surface of Aziraphale’s skin, just under the curve of their right pectoral muscle. It’s mostly covered by Aziraphale’s vest and prevents Adam from seeing if it’s the only one or if there are more. He’s moved past it and he has no choice but to stop wondering and look up.

There are more hands. More hands. Two massive ones poised above and behind Aziraphale’s head, a book of all things cradled reverently within its fingers. They were flicking through the pages at an astonishing speed yet Adam couldn’t make out a single sound coming from it.

‘That’s better’ exclaims Aziraphale, massive round shoulders wriggling, ‘I could barely see you all the way down there’. There’s a quick flick of fingers through pages, and suddenly a hand stabs at the pages of Aziraphale’s book. ‘Though’ hums the angel thoughtfully, index finger tracing an unseen sentence, ‘the fact that we can see each other at all is nothing short of a terrifying miracle. I suppose that’s the bit of Hell you carry, otherwise you’d be all burnt up!’ 

Burnt up!

As if sensing Adam’s growing anxiety over the revelation that yes he could have died upon the faintest glance in Aziraphale’s direction if he were the human he’s not entirely sure he is, the angel haunches inwards. The pink of the marble turned a dash of burgundy. ‘O-of course’ flails Aziraphale, voice stuttering and fingers spasming overhead ‘We would never have let that happen to you, my dear boy. Not even a little burn. And even if that did happen, you’d be back before you even realised you were gone!’. It doesn’t reassure Adam one bit.

Aziraphale winced, pulled Adam closer ‘My apologies. That didn’t come out as well as I thought it would.’ 

‘We’re wasssting time Aziraphale’ 

A shiver sprung up Adam’s body, from his soles to the ends of his hair, as another voice hissed through the air and slithered into his ears. He tipped his head upwards as another being materialised from between Aziraphale’s layers of wings. 

This one was dark. Not entirely black, just….. dark. If Aziraphale was to be likened to the dawn, then this one was the dusk. They loomed a good half a head over Aziraphale and were positively ginormous from Adam’s perspective. 

Great ebony wings arched upwards, giving the appearance of a sudden solar eclipse. Compared to Aziraphale’s countless ones, this one had simply two sets but what they lacked in numbers, they made up for in size. The bigger of the pair almost overwhelm Aziraphale's, an encroaching darkness that shifts and shakes then settles into the background. The other pair Adam could barely make out and he only knows they’re there because of the smoke. It billows out from them, thick and angry as a forest fire. There’s nothing to smell, but still Adam’s mind conjures up faint whiffs of mud pools, ashes, and sulphur. Curiously, the smoke doesn’t retain it’s burnt brown and black appearance. As the smoke swirls up the sides of the other's torso, curling into the red cloth draped over their head and shoulders, it turns almost milky. The strands that make it into the air above the head are far less intimidating than how they start, more akin to a mist that rises from a forest as the sun's rays strike the cool earth. Beneath the loose folds of cloth, Adam can only spy a sharp nose with no nostrils and lips pulled back in a snarl. The being breathes out a low hiss and more creamy smoke pours out from between bared teeth. Something rustles amongst the folds and smoke and suddenly eyes, too many of them, are pinned on Adam. They’re many shades of yellow and gold and all have slitted black pupils.

He gasps, flinching back further into Aziraphale's grasp.

The lips widen from a snarl to a sharp grin. 

‘Behave yourself Crowley’ admonished Aziraphale from above him, swatting the other, now named Crowley, with one of their free hands, ‘He’s uneasy enough as it is without you frightening him even more’. 

‘He’ll get over it’ replied Crowley, a rumble in their chest, ‘He needssss to if we’re to work something out’. Despite that, all the eyes closed off one by one. 

Adam, eyes on the two above him, reaches out for a firm grip on the side of Aziraphale’s palm and yanks himself to it. As soon as he’s there, he’s on his toes, gawking at the Crowley’s form.

Their entire body is the deepest of purples and blues of a winter night sky, with shape cuts of pinks, yellows and white etched into the surface in a strange mimic of constellations. They remind Adam of freckles and soften the otherwise sharp edges of Crowley’s figure. A figure that was from the waist down certainly not human. Instead of any semblance of legs, there was a single thick limb that stretched and curved for miles and miles across the sand dunes. It overlapped itself dozens of times but Adam couldn’t see an end to it. It seemingly stretched across the entire horizon, no- maybe the entire earth- No! Perhaps the entire universe. Adam swallowed, imagining the expanse of space wrapped snug and tight within the grasp of the serpent's coils and no one any the wiser to it. Goosebumps rose on Adam’s arms and he forcibly focused himself elsewhere.

Curiously, this one also seemed to be made of plenty of arms and hands. Unlike Aziraphale, Crowley’s arms are all lean muscle and pointed fingertips. They almost lounge about their torso, draped across each other or hanging completely limp. Also unlike Aziraphale, they aren’t at all attached to Crowley. Instead, the tops of them hover around the end of Crowley’s shoulders, which cut off abruptly about a finger length from when the humerus bone begins. As Crowley moves, the tops of the arms fan about to keep what looks like a very specific order of who sits directly below the shoulder at all times. The only exception is a pair curiously sheltered just under Crowley’s chest. Where the other hands were tipped dark blue and purple, these ones were a moss-green starting from the wrists and they seemed to not need shoulders as the others do. In fact, Adam can see their upper arms are firmly attached to Crowley, if sitting a bit lower than regular arms might. They moved in strange, slow motions, plucking the air and seemingly interlocking something together, though as far as Adam can see, there was nothing. 

‘Eyes here Adam, I can only keep this up for so long’ 

Adam reluctantly drew his gaze away from his blatant ogling, looking up just in time to watch Crowley reach out and poke the side of Aziraphale’s forehead. 

‘Ssame goes for you, Angel. Ssstop reading for one minisscule sssecond in your exisstence and pay attention’

‘You know I can’t do that Crowley otherwise, I can’t very well see, now can I’

A second jaw dropped open from under Crowley’s chin, letting out a rush of smog and a forked tongue that lashed out at the air. A low growl resonated from their throat all aimed at Aziraphale, who ignored it with practised ease. 

‘Adam’ the angel said instead, lowering his head to be more level with the boy ‘You don’t know how gratifying it has been to meet you. I had had my doubts and wants you see. Fear that you’d be hell incarnate and hopes you’d be heaven incarnate. What a relief to see that you are neither’.

‘What am I then?’ asked Adam, brows furrowed ‘if I am none of those things’

‘Human’ breathed out Aziraphale, their light becoming brighter. 

‘Normal’ supplied Crowley, tone absent. They were looking at the sky, lip curled up in displeasure, ‘You’re normal’.

‘I don’t think normal kids can do the stuff I can do’ 

Both beings shared a look. ‘Everyone has their quirks’ offered Crowley, rolling a shoulder and straightening as the world rumbled. They cast a quick look upwards again then quickly focused on Adam. 

‘Listen Adam’ they said, voice sharp ‘Satan will rise and he will come for you. But it doesn’t have to be this way. We’re on your turf. Not hells or heavens, yours. You have home field advantage and reality will listen to you.’

Adam swallowed, chest tight and palms damp. He wiped them on his pants. ‘I don’t think- I’m not- How do I get him to leave?’ 

Crowley flashed him a cheeky double layered grin, eyes all flashing a wink that was more of a disorientating wave of blinks ‘How do you usually get rid of unwanted pests?’. 

Memories of Adam’s mother stunning guests into leaving early without a fuss and his father telling off door salesmen until they turn tail and fled rose to the forefront of Adam’s mind. There. There was a thought, a start. 

‘What will you guys do?’ 

Crowley shrugged ‘Hopefully nothing’ they said, sounding absolutely serious ‘granted you get it right’ 

‘And if I don’t?’

Crowley rolled their head around and peered expectantly at Aziraphale. Aziraphale wasn’t looking. Instead, their head was raised skyward to watch the tremors increase in speed and force. 

‘Right’ said Aziraphale, a finality to their tone. The hands that were busy reading, if Crowley was to be understood correctly, abruptly snapped shut the book they held. The sound should have been deafening, should have deafened Adam. At the most, it echoed like a heavy mat dropped in a large hall. The book was lowered and, in doing so, revealed another pair of smaller hands. Grey and dusty in appearance, they seemed clasped around the handle of something. There was grinding and Aziraphale groaned, head shaking side to side. ‘Oh bother’ they muttered, shoulder rolling as if trying to shake something loose. The fingers of the palm Adam shook and flexed. Behind Aziraphale’s head, the grey hands finally rose into motion, and with them a scorching heat. It crept higher and higher until Adam broke out in sweat across his whole body. 

It was ‘The Sword’. The one War had danced with in her introduction. ‘The Sword’ Adam recalled Aziraphale had swooped in to pick up once the Them had successfully fought off the horsemen. What they had used paled in comparison to its form now. In Aziraphale’s grasp, it’s orange fire turned to gold and the blade shone bronze. A blue ball of fire was set in the pommel, seemingly the source of the never-ending flames that coated it, and the crossguard sported a traditional looking set of wings. It arched magnificently overhead, one of Aziraphale’s hands breaking off to run its palm over the blade and so burn the fire brighter. 

Adam was shifted as it came down, the hand he was on moving him closer to Crowley and further from the source of the unbearable heat. He was jostled as Aziraphale's hand was bumped into and sharp purple fingers curled about the edges of the palm Adam sat on. Adam snapped his head around and Crowley smirked back at him, much closer than they were before. 

Another blue hand rose upwards, searching the air off to the side before suddenly clamping down on something. It sprung into existence, and Crowley whirled it in a hand similar to how someone might spin an old window crank for cars. 

‘Hold on’ they rumbled to Adam, teeth clamped together. 

Adam was suddenly glad for the two sets of hands cradling him protectively. As Crowley pulled at whatever he had summoned, the two beings wavered and crashed around him. Pressure grew behind Adam’s eyes and in his ears and he curled in on himself. 

‘Remember Adam’ a voice whispered to him ‘whatever happens, we’re right beside you’. 

And then his feet hit the tarmac of the airbase and instead of beneath him, Aziraphale and Crowley held each of his hands tightly. 

Adam opened his mouth to ask about hows and whats and could he possibly see them again, the true them, except Satan himself was breaking out from the earth and-

Well, Adam supposes he could wait until afterwards.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!!  
> Please consider leaving a good ol' Kudos and maybe even a Comment that I can feed to my soul. 
> 
> Have a good one!


End file.
